Clothes drying rack



Jan. 5, 1932. s SLAUSON 1,839,607

CLOTHES DRYING RACK Filed Jan. 13, 1950 Patented Jan. 5, 1932 'iiJiNlIT-ED .s'rEr-HEmasLaUsoN,@or GEDAR.BAIEIDS,'IO,WA

oLorHEs marine; anon Application "filed'ifanuary'my 1930. Serial. No: 420,476.

This invention relates to clothes-drying racks, mainly fordomest-icruse, and of a'foldable-x type, occupying-a: minimum of :space in the houseywhen not in. use,and adapted to be stowed compactly for-transportation.

A further object. of my invention is 1 to provide a clothes-drying rack :structure :in-

eluding a support and :a pair of plateelements, one adapted 1130 rupivotally I support clothes-drying racks and the other adapted to rest therea-gainst" whereby tension maybe applied by one 1 of said plates against the clothes-drying racks for preventing undesirable and free pivotal: movement thereof.

Still a further objectais-to' provide: a pair of brackets eachhaving-aplurality of openings therein"for:pivo tally:,receivingthe ends of 1 a plurality of clothes-:dryin'g racks and means spacedabove and below said brackets in close relationship thereto wherebythe ends of said cloth-drying racks may-be received in the space between said :brackets and said means whereby the ends 0t said clothes drying racks are A in frictional engagement with the brackets in whichthey are received.

'Theobject of the invention is to improve the construction of such drying raeksas toa considera'ble number :of' characteristic features, as willbe hereinafter fullyand clearly set forth. r I 1 i In the accompanying drawings, forminga part of thisspecificationplifigkl is a front view in; perspective 1 of 1 a clothes; dryer embodying my invention. Fig. 2'isa side elevation of the base anda part of the-standard in folded position. *Fig; 3 is a fragmentary view of the same parts below the-section line 3 3 OfFig. 1. Fig; L is a fragmentaryesi-de elevation offthe' rack and standard inthe line 4-4 of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is:a fraginentary plan view of therack bekm 'the-section line 5-6 of "Fig; 4. Fig'ifi isa fragmentary front elevation of one of the rack supports and the mounting of the same on the standard.

That portionof the dryer which carries the garments or fabrics to be dried may be briefly designated the rack. It comprises a supporting bracket and a group of arms piv oted thereto, to be spread out radially for drying purposes, or folded closely together when not use. :Thebracket .comprisesga wall .(orpost) plate .75, bentat right-angles atl-the-ends to formabutmentqalates. 6. Ad-

j acent .to i .the ..abutment+plates .are set gsimilarly shaped'bearings. 7, which Qareformed .55 as stirrups, andrivetedat-8.towtheu wall-pla-te. Bothbearings andzthenwallsplate are pieree'td at 9 with a key-holeslot so;.-as';to hangionxa pair of screws 10 i in a supporting standard, either endsup, and be easily. and :quieklyeab .60 tachedor detached.

The rack-bars 11 areformedaaaslongzstirrups or loops-from =steel .-rods,-;With:inturned terminals 12- to engage. :the .bearings. iiT-he latterare pierced zat l3-1to sreceiveisaidzten minals, andinnrderthat the rackebalts; when collapsed,- fmay" lie: closely; tOgQth8I,fTJ .tZjlS desirableto dispose-the hearing holes diagonally,-".-as best. shown, :in :Fig'. 7; :5. ,.-.This.:admits of the-holeszbeing-maderwithout intersec ing, and permits the bars to closegtogetherzinia compact and-practically parallel 1nass,:;='for stowage insthe hou'sewhen not, in: use, and saving ofrispace in packi'ngjfor;shipment. ;-Exceptfora-thebufi'er thimblessli flimchediflt 7 5 theidoopedends; tllGxDiLCkaiOfiI'S 'Wil len1'fiSO1-T' lapsed :mig-ht: :lie :perfcctly parallel, kand thuspccupycthe' least possible space. vThe thimbles are Fshcrt sSBEiJiOIlS. of rubber tubing, and are, designed; toprevent rubbing a Q abrasion ofzthe rack-bar, rods.

It is to be noted that each racksbar forms a nearly -.con1pl-ete rectangle, shar lyEbentat each corner. The effect of this, andqthe fourfold bearing,.- is to givethe; .bar great stiffness vertically, and thus .make possible theuse of light rods in forming..theyraclga matterlof economy ,in ,lnanufactune ,aiid

transpnrtatiom, and. convenience inghan'dling when inliuse. f p

.Thejbeari s; as.-will.be seen, aredisposed between and close to' the abutments,and are necessarily. riveted to the wheelers-garter assembling. Screws 15-cennectthe outer-bf each bearing-plate with the adj acent" [ahut-- '95 ment-,--and thereby the 1'6SPBCtiV B:pla1teS'm&y be adjnst'ed to clamp the interposed track. rods :withas muchror' little tension as. ismece'ssaryto; keep them from swinging. tooi'loosely when: spread .apart. 100

For general use the rack is best mounted on a standard 16, herein shown as a straight wooden post, provided with supporting screws or studs 10, as above described. At the lower end it is provided with a base of foldable and flaring legs projecting laterally vand forwardly as does the rack when spread slide, these and the other leg bolts fitting in countersunk holes, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the slide presents smooth surfaces to the standard. I Braces 26 connect these legs pivotally with the lower end of the standard at 27 and 28, respectively, the downward movement of the slide is limited by a stop 29, so that in the position shown in Fig. 1 the legs formed a trussed base, with a three-point contact with the floor. 7 The legs collapse to positions parallel with the standard, as shown in Fig. 2, by simply sliding the slide and its connections upward on the standard.

The dryer is especially convenient in connection with the portable ironing boards in general use. Its back may be set close to a Wall, thus economizing space in the laundry.

The ironing board may stand directly between the base and the rack, with no interference, when the rack is in the most convenient possible'positionto take the articles as folded and ironed.

It is to be noted that the vertical stifiness of the rack-bars, to which reference has above been made, is due in part to the quadruple,-short-turn bends, and also to double bearings for each pivot of the rack-bar.

whichby prolonging the bearings impart a truss-like rigidity to the slender, rectangular structure. gives a double holding capacity, longer articles being held on thelower rod, and shorter ones'above.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim:'

I1. In a clothes dryer, the combination of a skeleton rack-bar formed'of rod bent to subbearing position.

- 2. In a clothes dryer, the combination of a skeleton rack-bar formed of rod bent to substantially rectangular form, with terminal,

inturned pivots, bearing brackets for said pivots, a support for said brackets having outturnedabutments to' overlap the rod at the pivot-bends, and means for applying clamp- The form of the bar also ing tension to said abutments with respect to V the brackets and interposed rack-bar rod.

3. In a clothes dryer, the combination of a skeleton rack-bar formed of rod bent to substantially rectangular form, with terminal, inturned pivots, a pair of double-bearing brackets engaged by said pivots, and a connected supportin plates having out-turned abutments to hold the pivots in bearing position, and pierced with keyhole slots for devertical support, a pair of-spacedjbrackets secured thereto, a plurality of clothes holding racks pivoted between said brackets and means for applying" tension against said brackets between said support and said racks for preventing free pivotal movement of the latter relative to the former. v

6. A clothes drying device comprising a vertical support, a bracket secured thereto, a plate secured to said support in spaced relation to said bracket, adjustable means of con nection between said plate and said bracket, a plurality of clothes supporting racks pivotally mounted in said bracket and extending into the space between said bracket and said plate whereby tension may be applied to said racks by adjusting said adjustable means of connection. r i

7. A' clothes drying device comprising a vertical support, a bracket secured thereto, a platesecured to said support in spaced rela tion to said bracket, a plurality of clothes supporting racks pivotally mounted in said bracket and extending into the space between said bracket'and said plate, said racks being in frictional engagement with said bracket and said plate and a contractible connection between said bracket and said plate and lo cated between said support'and said'racks for maintaining said racks ;so engaged with said bracket and said plate.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

STEPHEN A. SLAUSON. 

